Euclidean Distance Approximations From Replacement Product Graphs.

We introduce a new chamfering paradigm, locally connecting pixels to produce path distances that approximate Euclidean space by building a small network (a replacement product) inside each pixel. These " RE -grid graphs" maintain near-Euclidean polygonal distance contours even in noisy data sets, making them useful tools for approximation when exact numerical solutions are unobtainable or impractical. The RE -grid graph creates a modular global architecture with lower pixel-to-pixel valency and simplified topology at the cost of increased computational complexity due to its internal structure. We present an introduction to chamfering replacement products with a number of case study examples to demonstrate the potential of these graphs for path-finding in high frequency and low resolution image spaces which motivate further study. Possible future applications include morphology, watershed segmentation, halftoning, neural network design, anisotropic image processing, image skeletonization, dendritic shaping, and cellular automata.

The influence of financial factors on the deployment of telemedicine.

The basic research question that guided this investigation was "Do financial indicators play a major role in decisions to deploy telemedicine?" The study also evaluated the relative importance of five specific financial indicators. Select hospital systems were asked to participate in this research. Because much has been written about the problems of access to health care in rural settings, the study included hospital systems with rural hospitals. The study also examined the importance of financial indicators to representatives of various functional disciplines. A qualitative case study approach was used for the research project.

Radical technology: your grandfather's telephone.

More than 100 years ago, a cutting-edge technology offered the potential to improve and better manage care. But like each innovation that was to follow, the telephone wasn't implemented in a day.

Stability of meropenem in polyvinyl chloride bags and an elastomeric infusion device.

PURPOSE: The stability of meropenem in i.v. solutions stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bags and an elastomeric infusion device at concentrations commonly used in home care was studied. METHODS: Vials of meropenem were reconstituted with sterile water for injection and mixed with 0.9% sodium chloride injection (NS) to yield concentrations of 4, 10, and 20 mg/mL. Six replicate solutions were prepared in PVC containers and six in the Homepump ECLIPSE elastomeric infusion device. All solutions were stored at an average temperature of 5 degrees C and sampled immediately after preparation and at intervals up to 120 hours (five days); the 4-mg/mL solution was also sampled at 144 and 168 hours (seven days). Samples were assayed for meropenem concentration by stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: All solutions of meropenem retained over 90% of the initial drug concentration at five days. The 4-mg/mL solutions retained over 93% of the initial concentration at seven days. The rate of meropenem decay did not differ significantly between PVC and elastomeric infusion containers for the 4- and 20-mg/mL solutions; however, there was a difference for the 10-mg/mL solutions. CONCLUSION: Meropenem 4 mg/mL in NS was stable for at least seven days in PVC bags and elastomeric infusion containers when stored at 5 degrees C, and meropenem 10 and 20 mg/mL in NS was stable for at least five days in both containers at 5 degrees C.

Pancytopenia, mucositis, and hepatotoxicity after intralesional methotrexate injection in a patient treated with peritoneal dialysis.

PURPOSE: A case of methotrexate toxicity from intralesional treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the hands in a peritoneal dialysis patient is reported. SUMMARY: A 68-year-old Caucasian man receiving peritoneal dialysis for end-stage renal disease complained to his primary care physician of shortness of breath, mouth and hand sores, nausea, and general malaise. Four days before his office visit, the patient received 25 mg of methotrexate intralesionally for refractory squamous cell carcinoma of his hands. The patient had several pustular lesions on both hands. On admission, the patient had a normal complete blood cell count and elevated liver enzyme levels. On hospital day 3, the patient's white blood cell count was 1,300 cells/µL, platelet count was 134,000 platelets/µL, hemoglobin value was 12.4 g/dL, and hematocrit was 37%. Folic acid 1 mg i.v. every six hours and leucovorin 10 mg/m(2) (20 mg) i.v. every six hours was initiated. His serum methotrexate concentration was 0.03 µmol/L on hospital day 6. The leucovorin dosage was increased to 200 mg i.v. every six hours. Platelets were administered, and the patient was switched to four-hour treatments of high-flux membrane hemodialysis for two consecutive days. The patient was discharged on hospital day 14. Mild mucositis was still present, but the patient had improved substantially and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility. CONCLUSION: A 68-year-old peritoneal dialysis patient who was treated with 25 mg of intralesional methotrexate for squamous cell carcinoma of the hands developed pancytopenia, mucositis, and hepatotoxicity as a result of systemic absorption and prolonged elimination.

Significance of Caribbean and regional earthquake events in the determination of seismic attenuation and hazard assessments in Florida

More than seventy-five percent of seismic events recorded by the University of Florida Seismic network (UFL) originate in the circum-Caribbean tectonic region. The proximity of the Florida Plateau to the tectonic features in the circum-Caribbean region demands that earthquake events from this region be incorporated in assessments of seismic hazard for Florida. Data from the recently completed 6-station network, as well as that from an extensivereview of record archives from station GAI, have yielded preliminary models of seismic attenuation for the Florida Plateau. Ground motion measurements from more than twenty events originating from the Caribbean, Central America and South America yield an attenuation coefficient approaching 0.22 deg-1. This coefficient supports the idea that seismic attenuation in the Florida Plateau exceeds that of the Eastern United States. These results have further implications for the seismic hazard assessments in Florida and may be indicative of the unique lithospheric identy of the Florida basement as a exotic terrane. This study, in conjunction with a study of the tectonics of the circum-Caribbean region, contributes to an analysis of attenuation within the Caribbean. Seismic data obtained by the University of Florida Seismic Network characterizes the northern perimeter of this important region.(AU)